THE ROCK ART PETROGLYPHS OF CAMPECHE ISLAND

INTRODUCTION BY JOHN ROBINSON

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John Robinson photographsthe rock art of Campeche

My trip with Brazilian Research Archaeologist Keler Lucas to see the unbelievably sophisticated Petroglyphs on the Island of Campeche turned out to be one of the great Artistic adventures of my life. The Petroglyphs of Campeche are truly wonderful works of Art. Who were the people who executed these extraordinary relief carvings, and when? In all probability these questions will never be solved as the passage of time has buried the answers.

Carbon dating of Middens (refuse mound) on the Island of Santa Catarina have shown that people have been living in the area for about 5000 year. The interest of the Bradshaw Foundation was fully reported by the Santa Catarina Press, and lead to an official visit to the Island of Campeche by the Director of IPHAN, the Department in charge of Antiquities, who immediately instigated a project of administration and preservation. The Head of the Department is a Director of the Board of ICOMOS-Brazil.

After 20 years of working on his own this is all very good news to Keler Lucas, especially as he has been asked to participate in the project. The out come of this investigation was that the Island of Campeche was declared in 2000 to be a National Heritage Monument, A Historic Patrimony of the Nation.

Little Sister Island

Giant Mask Petroglyphfrom Little Sister Island

At the beginning of this year the Bradshaw Foundation funded an expedition to enable Keler Lucas to explore Little Sister, an island off the south west corner of Santa Catarina. This was the first time the Island had been visited by an Archaeologist. Keler reported with great excitement that he had made a wonderful discovery, a giant Mask Petroglyph, so unique, that he has called it a Rosetta Stone.

Shortly after Keler Lucas made the amazing discovery of the Mask Petroglyph, the Bradshaw Foundation sent their Project Controller Cathy Hefner Urice to the island just south of Campeche. Her misson was to take a rubbing of the Mask when she was there, her report of the expedition can be read here.